Rain Of A Thousand Tears
by Jen128
Summary: Part of her would always stand on this street in the rain, watching him go back inside. To the new life he had because she had rejected the life he had offered her. Part of her would always stand there, hoping for him to come back. CHAPTER 8 UP!
1. Prologue

_I know, I should rather update "The End Of An Affair" than starting a new story. But unfortunately I don't really know right now where to go with that story and that got me a writers block. I do, however, have an idea for a new story in my head for some time now and I just decided today to post the prologue here. I don't know if you like it, just tell me the truth. Should I go on with it or not? Please tell me your honest opinion. __For now, I don't think you need any further explanation to the story, it kind of explains itself and telling you to much would give away the plot. So just read and review, please._

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**Prologue**

Rory Gilmore sat in a simply decorated living room and stared out of the window into the rainy night. The lights of Manhattan seemed to be far away and the sound of the cars driving along Fifth Avenue was something Rory didn't even notice. All she realized was the darkness of the night, all she heard was the sound of the rain against her window.

And each raindrop seemed like a tear to her. A tear she wasn't able to cry, even though all she could think of was crying like a rainstorm. But Rory didn't allow herself to shed even one single tear. It just didn't seem right to her. It had been her choice, she had made the decision for the life she had now. Allowing herself to cry would mean to admit that her choice had been wrong. And even though deep down in her heart Rory had known since the very first moment that she had made the wrong decision she wasn't ready to admit that to herself yet.

She had rejected him to have a life full of open doors. She had hurt the love of her life to keep her own opportunities. All the options had seemed so important to her, more important than being with the man she loved. After all she had been so young, only twenty-two. She had realized too late that rejecting him meant to close all the doors that offered happiness and a life that was worth living.

She had decided for her career and against love, a decision she should have known wasn't one a woman had to take, not anymore. And now here she was, a twenty-eight year old journalist at New York Times able to write about whatever she wanted. She had achieved what had always been her dream. And still, it meant absolutely nothing. It just didn't matter as long as she had to come home into an empty apartment, Without having someone to share her experiences of the day. With no one there who would hold her in lonely nights. Her success didn't mean anything without him.

The rain got even heavier, like a thousand tears falling down on the streets as Rory thought back to what had happened earlier that evening. She closed her eyes and saw his smirk as clear as if he stood right in front of her. She could still taste his lips on hers, feel the softness of his hands caressing her cheeks, and hear his sad voice mumbling a goodbye.

Part of her would always stand on this street in the rain, watching him go back inside. To the new life he had because she had rejected the life he had offered her. Part of her would always stand there, hoping for him to come back. But she knew he would never come back. That hope had died long ago and with it the part of Rory Gilmore that had been able to smile and truly, deeply mean it.


	2. The Courage To Say Yes

_I know, I haven't updated my stories in ages. I'm really sorry for that. Guess that's what life after school is like. But today, inspiration hit me and I wrote another chapter for this story. I'm afraid there's going to be pretty much drama in the upcoming chapters, but don't worry. I'm a Sophie through and through... ;-) Oh, and just to make sure: I go back to the beginning of the evening in this chapter ,and the following ones as well, so you'll actually get to read how they met again._

_So, without any more words: enjoy the new chapter and please leave me a review. I would really like to hear your thoughts on the story._

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**The Courage To Say Yes **

Rory looked into the mirror one last time and slightly nodded at herself. Yes, the light blue dress really let her eyes sparkle, as her mother had told her when she had hesitated to buy it. For a brief second a wave of sadness got hold of her. There had been a time when no dress had been necessary to get her eyes to sparkle. One little word had been enough. _Ace_

But Rory quickly put that though aside, to a part of her heart that she kept well locked. A Part of her heart that had been locked for over six years now. She forced herself to smile a fake smile, the one she always smiled when she attended a social event.

This evening she was invited to a big gala dinner at the Plaza together with the best journalists and most important newspaper guys of New York City. And as she was one of the youngest journalists who had ever managed to get a job at the feature resort of the New York Times she simply had to go there. Even if she hated these events. The same boring people, the same boring talks all over again.

Maybe she could manage to get out of there right after dessert. _I could pretend to suffer from food poisoning_, Rory thought. A moment later she couldn't help but laugh at herself. She was truly her mothers daughter. That thought was exactly one Lorelai would have had before entering the Gilmore Mansion.

But in the end she knew that there was only one option: To do, what she always did. Go in there, put up a fake smile and drown her sorrows in scotch. It had worked for him for years, so why shouldn't it work for her, too?

Rory left her apartment and stepped out into another cold New York Winter day. Soon it would be Christmas and Rory was still waiting for the first snow of the year. That was another thing that came with being Lorelai Gilmore's daughter: believing that the first snow of the year had something magical. For six years now, Rory had been waiting, she wasn't aware of it, but there was a part of her that still waited for him. For them to be happy. Even though it seemed more than out of reach. After all, anything was possible when it snowed, right?

***

Two hours later Rory sat on a chair in an elegantly decorated banquet hall, staring down at her dessert, wondering if this event would ever be over.

"I saw a great bar across the street. We could go there later and grab some drinks." the man next to her whispered into her ear and Rory felt a familiar wave of annoyance. "And who knows, maybe then you'll feel like coming to my room… We both know you wanted it ever since you started at the Times." the guy continued, not even noticing the effect he had on the person his words were directed at.

Rory couldn't stand it anymore. She put her spoon down on the table a little bit too loud, some of the other guests were looking at her in surprise, and she managed to put up a small smile. "Would you excuse me? I'd like to get a little bit of fresh air." she got out in her best society voice and stood up from her table to leave the room. But before she did she shot her neighbor an angry glare, telling him silently not to follow her.

She left the room and got out to street in front of the Plaza. She couldn't go for a walk though, as the rain still poured down like a waterfall. She tried to take a few deep breaths, but she was too angry. God, how she hated that guy's way of making a pass at her.

Roger was her colleague at New York Times and ever since she had started to work for the feature resort he tried to get in her pants. Not that he was bad looking, quite the opposite in fact, which was kind of the basic problem. He was handsome and he knew it, which made him think every woman on the face of the planet had to fall for his charm. He was the typical womanizer and, on top of that, quite wealthy and the son of a famous lawyer.

Altogether just what Emily Gilmore and the whole society of Hartford would consider an excellent match for Rory. And Rory knew that Roger wasn't so bad at all, when he occasionally forgot he wanted to get her into his bed it was quite nice to talk to him, he was a great writer and a man with interesting opinions. But Rory just didn't want a life in high society with a wealthy man. She had rejected that before, why would she want that now?

As if that thought had been a sign she heard a familiar voice right in front of her. "Hurry up, hun, we're already too late to get some dinner and god beware that we miss all those great speeches, too."

And then, when she looked up, she saw him getting out of a black limousine. Logan Huntzberger, in flesh and blood. Wearing a black suit that fit perfectly, smirking at a blonde woman about Rory's age. Rory couldn't help but notice that he looked even more gorgeous than the last time she had seen him. His smirk still made him look like a little boy, but he seemed to be more mature. He looked like a man who was completely happy with the life he had.

While Rory stood there just staring at the couple hurrying towards the entrance the blonde woman spoke. "Well, babe, sorry for that, but I have to say that I wasn't the one to undress myself just as I finally found the perfect dress." she said and winked at the man accompanying her.

"True!" Logan answered laughing. "But I still think it was a good idea. Totally worth missing dinner." With that, he grabbed the blonde's hand and pulled her in for a hug and a passionate kiss, right there on the stairs in front of the Plaza in New York and, although he didn't know that, right in front of the woman he once wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

Rory had never anticipated that anything could hurt that much. Just looking at their apparently familiar banter had broken her heart, but it was nothing compared to this. Seeing him kiss her passionately, his hand caressing her cheek while the other pressed her close to him was too much for her. Her heart broke into a thousand pieces and she knew that the pain would never leave her again.

Just as Rory felt able to breath again the two ended their kiss and continued their way into the hotel. This time, the woman took the lead and Logan followed her until a familiar face caught his sight. But no. It couldn't be her… not tonight. But somehow Logan knew that this time it was real. He had imagined to see her in all sorts of places, but he knew immediately that this time she wasn't a product of his imagination. This time, his Ace was there. Staring at him and the woman who had had the courage Rory apparently didn't have.

The courage to say yes.


	3. It's Too Late

_Hey everyone! Looks like I really got my inspiration back. The words came to my mind so fast, I almost wasn't fast enough to type them. I hope you like the new chapter and leave me a review. _

**It's too late**

Only seconds went by while Rory and Logan stood there, both unable to move, but to them it seemed like hours. All they could do was staring into each others eyes while the past six years seemed to fade away like a distant memory. The pain seeing each other caused in them felt just too real to believe that it had been six years since the end of their relationship. To them the events of Rory's graduation felt like yesterday.

But while the world had stopped turning for Rory and Logan the moment they looked at each other again, everything went on normally for all the others, like Logan's date. The woman turned around when she realized Logan was no longer at her side and saw him standing outside the door with a brunette stranger who had her back to her. For many women the expression on Logan's face would have caused suspicion, but the blonde was just too happy to notice. She just smiled and said: "You coming, baby?"

Her voice seemed to wake Logan from his trance, but he still couldn't take his eyes off of Rory. He had waited six years to see her again, he couldn't let her out of his sight.

Later that evening, Rory wondered how she could have reacted that fast, but it just came naturally. "Sorry, Mr. Huntzberger. I didn't mean to stand in your way." She told him and stepped aside. When Logan didn't move she added in a whisper: "Logan, please. Just go in there." She was surprised at the desperation in her voice, but she just couldn't help it. She felt like one more second near him would cause her to break down.

Her silent plea made him finally realize how suspicious the situation must seem to his company. He cleared his throat and managed a neutral expression. "Don't worry, Miss." he directed at Rory before turning to the other woman. "I'm coming, honey. The speeches won't wait for us." Somehow he even managed to smile at her and took her hand like nothing had happened since they arrived.

But no matter how much he wanted it to be true, he couldn't deny the fact that something had changed. Before he had left the limo, spending time with the woman at his side had been all he wanted. But now all he could think about was how he could sneak away and get back to Rory. All he was able to do was thinking about her, the sad expression in her eyes and all the feelings she had caused him to feel. Even though he had managed to live six years without seeing her he felt like every second apart from her now would slowly kill him tonight.

***

Rory wasn't able to move, so she just stood outside of the hotel, staring out into the rain. She couldn't think, she just stood there, without any idea how much time went by until she suddenly heard a voice from behind.

"Rory?" was all Logan managed to get out. Hours seemed to pass until Rory finally turned around and found the courage to look at him again. And just like that, without any word being said, the tears started running down her cheeks and her body was shaking with sobs.

Logan didn't lose any time, he didn't think, he just went towards her and put his arms around her. This caused Rory to cry even harder and soon Logan felt his shirt getting wet. But he didn't care. All that mattered was to have Rory in his arms.

But all of a sudden, Rory realized that all of this was wrong. She wasn't allowed to cry. She had hurt him, not the other way round, he shouldn't stand here after six years, comforting her because she finally admitted to herself that rejecting him had been a mistake. She let go of him abruptly and turned away from him to regain her composure.

"I'm sorry, Logan." she said, still unable to face him. "You shouldn't be out here with me. Go back in to your…"

"…fiancée." Logan completed the sentence with the word she had expected to hear least. "Rebecca is my… fiancée." he repeated, suddenly having trouble to say the word out loud. Talking about another woman as his fiancée in front of Rory just seemed wrong.

Rory tried to ignore the stabbing pain his words caused in her heart and finally turned around. "Your fiancée? Wow, congratulations. How long have you been… engaged?" She had no idea how she got up the strength to say these words, but they just came out of her mouth.

"I… I asked her tonight." Logan forced himself to tell her, but somehow he was unable to remember him proposing earlier that evening. The feelings and events seemed like they had happened to a completely different person. "Rory, I… I still…" Logan silently cursed himself. He always found the right words, why not now? "I've missed you." he finally whispered.

Rory stared at him, then she turned away and started walking out into the pouring rain. Suddenly she felt like one more word from him could kill her. She just walked, not even realizing the rain falling down on her, soaking her dress and washing away her makeup.

Logan looked after her, but then he realized he could not let her go. "Rory, wait!" he yelled and ran after her through the rain. She continued walking as if she didn't hear him but he was faster. He grabbed her shoulder and forced her to stand still while he walked around her so she had to face him.

All they did was looking at each other, into once so familiar faces, while the rain fell down on them. And then, without any noticeable reason, Logan bent down to her and locked his lips with hers. It was a slow, almost painful, kiss, not like the passionate ones they had once shared. But as slow as the kiss might have been, it still held more emotions than any kiss between them before.

Rory stopped thinking the second his lips touched hers. All that existed in this moment was their kiss. Finally tasting his lips again, feeling his hand on the small of her back, holding her close. And still, even though it was a familiar feeling to kiss Logan, it was totally different than all the kisses she had experienced before. But Rory couldn't tell what exactly that difference was.

But the less Rory thought about the kiss, the more thoughts ran through Logan's brain. At the beginning, it just felt good to kiss Rory, like coming home after a very long journey. But then he suddenly heard her voice inside of his head, telling him she wasn't ready to marry him. And when her words started to mix with Rebecca's voice, his _fiancée_ Rebecca, telling him how much she loved him and that she couldn't wait to become his wife, he ended the kiss. As sudden as it had began, it was over.

"I'm… I'm sorry, Ror." he whispered. "I can't do that. It's too late." And with that, he turned around and walked back towards the hotel, without turning around one single time. Just as he had done all these years ago on the Yale Campus.


	4. Giving In Or Giving Up

_First of all, thanks for all the reviews, I'm glad you like the story. This really motivates me to update as fast as I can._

_I'm afraid some of you might not like where I'm going with this chapter, but please just trust me, this is definitely a Rogan story and will get less depressing. But they need to get through this. So, I hope you don't hate me for this and, even if you do, please leave me a review. Enjoy the new chapter!_

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**Giving In Or Giving Up**

Later Rory didn't remember going back into the hotel and getting up to her room. She never even thought about going back into the banquet hall. She couldn't get in there and pretend nothing had happened. So she just sat there, in her hotel room, staring out into the rain, wondering if the pain was ever going to stop.

More than anything she wished she could go home to her mom or at least to her own apartment. But there was a conference the next morning so she had to stay at the hotel.

After getting up to her room she had taken off her dress, after all it had been completely soaked through. Now she sat there in jeans and a black blouse and didn't allow herself to cry. She had no idea how long she sat there, but suddenly she couldn't take it anymore. Sleeping was no option, she already knew she wouldn't get any sleep tonight, so she put on her shoes and coat, grabbed her purse and left the room without any particular destination.

When she got down to the hall she remembered Roger talking about a bar across the street, so she left the hotel and soon found it. She walked directly to the bar and took a seat right in front of the bartender.

"Hey beautiful, what can I get you?" the young man asked immediately. Rory ignored his compliment and was about to order a scotch, but then she stopped herself. Anything that reminded her of him tonight would be her end.

"She'll have a Tequila." she heard a familiar voice from behind. "Actually you can make that two." Rory turned around and looked right into Roger's eyes. In any other situation she would have complained about him ordering for her and tried to stop him from taking the seat next to her. But tonight she didn't have the strength to do so, so she just looked at him without saying a word.

"So, Gilmore, glad you decided to come down. What happened to you earlier? I have to tell you, you missed some really great speeches." Roger directed at her while the bartender placed two shot glasses and a bowl of lemon slices in front of them.

"Let's not talk about it." Rory just said. Hearing Roger mocking the speeches reminded her of Logan and his fiancée too much. "So, I guess we should do these shots."

Each of them took a slice of lemon, put a little salt on their hands before taking the shot glasses. "Here's to you, Gilmore!" Roger said. Rory just nodded, licked the salt, slammed down the strong liquor and eagerly bit her lemon to ease the burning sensation it left. But somehow the burning in her throat felt good and without thinking about it she told the barman: "I'd like to get another one of these, please!"

Roger looked at her surprised. He had seen her drinking before, sometimes it almost seemed like she couldn't get through a social event without consuming a certain amount of scotch, but tonight it seemed like she was here for only one purpose: to get drunk. But he didn't stop her, instead he ordered himself another shot. Sometimes people just had to get drunk and get the opportunity to forget their problems for a little while. And who knew, maybe her getting drunk would help him finally getting a little closer to her.

"So, Roger, I'd say this one's to forgetting!" Rory toasted and before her counterpart could say a word she had gulped down her second shot. She closed her eyes while the liquor burned down her throat and could feel the pain fade away a little.

***

Several shots and about an hour later Rory wasn't as drunk as she would have liked to be, but then again drunk enough to feel better. The picture of Logan's face wasn't as clear as it had been before she came to the bar. She concentrated on Roger and managed to stop thinking about Logan every once in a while.

"So, Gilmore, it's pretty late already…" Roger said in a voice that made more than obvious what he was thinking. He tried to take Rory's hand that was lying on her knee, but she pulled it away. Holding hands was just too intimate. But the man didn't seem to mind, he just let his hand rest on her thigh and Rory didn't do anything about it.

"You're right. We can go if you're tired." Rory told him, even if she knew sleeping wasn't what he had in mind. She looked down on his hand when he started to caress her.

"No, I'm not tired. But I wouldn't mind heading back to the hotel." he said and let his hand travel a little further up her thigh, half expecting she would stop him. But she didn't.

Rory knew that sleeping with Roger wasn't the solution, that sex didn't make things easier but worse. But she couldn't help it. She needed to feel something else than the stabbing pain inside of her heart. "Okay." she told Roger and reached for her purse to pay her drinks.

"It's okay, Gilmore, I got you." Roger stopped her and gave a few bills to the bartender. Then he got up from the barstool and helped Rory putting on her coat before following her out of the bar.

They walked next to each other towards the hotel, not touching each other, without saying a word. Up in Roger's room Rory got rid of her coat and stared at his bed, not knowing what to do.

Finally Roger walked around her until he stood in front of her and bent down to kiss her, just as Logan had done earlier. But Rory didn't want that, so she turned her head away. Kissing was too intimate, too personal, and she didn't want this to get personal. But Roger didn't mind, he started kissing her neck instead. Rory wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself against him, feeling his already hard cock pressing against her stomach.

While he continued attacking her neck she started unbuttoning his shirt, pushed it off his shoulders, then continued with opening his belt. Roger felt her impatience, so he stopped kissing her and started undressing her, too.

"I'm so glad you finally gave in, Ror." he whispered after taking off her bra, looking at her perfect breasts. Rory didn't answer, instead she pushed him down on the bed, put off his pants and boxers before getting rid of her jeans and panties.

To her, it wasn't giving in to Roger. It felt more like giving up. Giving up herself and the hope to ever find a love as deep as the one she had shared with Logan once. If she couldn't have that, she could as well give herself to a man who wanted her, even if she didn't want him or if he just wanted her body.

Roger pulled her down to him on the bed and flipped them over so he was on top. "You're so beautiful." he whispered. Rory turned her face away without responding, taking his wallet from the nightstand and pulling out a condom. He looked at her a little confused when she handed it to him. He would have pictured her to be the woman who thought foreplay was more important than the sex itself, but apparently he was wrong. Fair enough for him, he had dreamed about fucking her for so long, the sooner he got to do it the better.

He put on the condom and positioned himself at her entrance. He looked at her questioningly and when she nodded he pushed himself inside of her in one hard thrust.

A small moan escaped Rory's lips. It had been so long since she had been entered by a man that the sudden thrust almost hurt her. But on the other hand it just felt so good to be wanted. Feeling wanted after Logan had turned her down earlier. She wrapped her legs around Roger's hips to draw him in even deeper, trying to concentrate on the feeling of his hard dick inside of her and forget the stabbing pain in her heart.

Roger had realized her painful whimper when he had entered her, so he didn't move inside of her, trying to see if she was okay. When she bucked up her hips he pulled out of her and entered her again slowly. He tried to be as gentle as he could be, which was hard concerning how much he wanted her. But he didn't want to do anything to hurt her or something she didn't want.

For a moment, Rory closed her eyes and concentrated on his gentle moves. It felt so good she almost started crying. But him being so gentle somehow felt wrong. This felt too much like 'making love', which wasn't what she wanted. She wanted sex, something purely physical that would make her forget her psychic pain.

"I need you…" she whispered between hard breathings. Roger looked at her questioningly and she bucked up her hips hard against him to show him. So he thrust into her faster, but still to soft for Rory. "Harder… please…harder" she begged him desperately in a moaning voice.

Roger didn't know if it was right, something about her behavior seemed so wrong, but he wanted her too much to think straight. So he pulled out of her completely just to ram his length back into her. He continued doing it, moving inside of her fast and hard, and Rory met each of his thrusts by bringing her hips up to meet his.

Soon both of them were close to the edge. He pulled out of her one last time. "Come for me…" he moaned before thrusting inside of her even harder than before. Rory could feel herself tighten around his dick and closed her eyes. She didn't want to see him when she came. She tried to bite her lips, but she couldn't stop the moans that escaped her lips. Seeing her like that was enough to make him lose all his self-control. "Fuck, Ror…" he moaned just as he came inside of her.

It took both of them a while to regain composure again, they just laid next to each other trying to get their breathing back to a normal pace. Rory just stared up at the ceiling, unable to think or feel anything.

Roger looked at her and suddenly he knew that it hadn't been the alcohol that had brought her to him tonight, after she had refused to even go out on a date with him for such a long time. It was because of another man. All of a sudden he felt as bad as he had never felt before. He should have stopped her, he should have realized she was miserable and stop her from giving herself to him. But he hadn't been strong enough to stop thinking with his dick. He couldn't believe how he could have been such a jerk.

"Ror, are you okay?" he asked her gently. "I'm so sorry." he added when she turned to him he saw a tear falling down to the pillow. "It's okay…" she managed to get out. "It wasn't your fault. I knew you wouldn't say no, and I… I used you. It wasn't fair."

He felt even more miserable now. How could she even look at him after what he had done, let alone giving him comfort. "No. I should have realized you were miserable. But instead I just ignored the signs and took advantage of you. I'm so stupid, all I did was thinking with my dick, I should be better than this, I should know better…" he rambled on, but stopped immediately when he saw tears streaming down Rorys face.

She looked so vulnerable that he couldn't help, he draw her in for a hug and caressed her back while she sobbed against his breast. "Shh… I'ts gonna be okay." he whispered at her gently, even if he had no idea what was wrong. Something told him that an incident that made Rory Gilmore get drunk and throw herself at another man had to be pretty serious. But he just had to tell her it was going to be okay. That way, if he comforted her, he might be able to forgive himself one day for not stopping her from doing this to herself.

He held her close until he felt her breathing become more regular and when she had fallen asleep he tucked her in and hoped that whatever it was that hurt her so much wouldn't destroy her. He loved her too much to see her broken like this.


	5. The One

_No idea where this is coming from but I seem to have gotten into a serious writing mania ;-). I wrote a chapter last night and another one this evening, so I'm giving you the first one right now and the second a little later. Hope you like it, this time we see Logan in the aftermath of meeting Rory. Have fun reading an keep those reviews coming._

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**The One**

It was already in the middle of the night when Logan and Rebecca finally got home from the event and Rebecca wanted to go to bed immediately. Logan told her he wanted to check his email before he went to bed. She looked surprised and a little disappointed, she had hoped he would want to pick up where they had stopped before going to the Plaza. But she accepted when he told her he was waiting for an important mail to confirm a business deal. His devotion to his business was one thing she loved about him after all.

After she had gone to bed Logan sat alone in the living room, staring at the wall. He felt bad for lying to Rebecca, there was no deal that had to be confirmed. But he knew she had wanted to sleep with him, and even though he would have loved to have sex with her, he knew it would have been wrong. It made him feel like the worst jerk on the face of the planet, but he knew if he had slept with her tonight, he would have closed his eyes and imagined her to be Rory. And he couldn't do that to her.

So he just sat there and replayed the scene with Rory in his head over and over again. She had looked so broken after he had ended their kiss. She had always been so strong but tonight he had realized that the woman he used to know was gone. And he knew it was his fault.

Sure, she had hurt him when she had rejected his proposal. She had broken him, too, all these years ago. But he couldn't help but wondering every day why he had refused to continue their relationship. It would have been hard but somehow he knew for sure that if he hadn't broken up with her they would have gotten married one day. And by not being able to give her a little more time he had broken her and disconnected both of them from the life they truly wanted. A life together.

And now he sat here in his apartment, newly engaged to another woman, with only one thought on his mind: Seeing his Ace again. But he had no idea what he would do if he met her again. And no idea if his Ace was still there somewhere inside of this broken woman.

It was almost morning when Logan finally fell asleep on the couch, still having no clue what to do.

***

The next morning he was woken up by the ringing of his phone. He could barely open his eyes and was glad his mobile lay on the coffee table right next to him so he didn't have to get up. He looked at the caller id and smiled.

"Hey, sister!" he said in a sleepy voice.

"Don't tell me you were still asleep?" Honor's voice came over the phone.

"Okay, I'm not going to tell you I was still asleep." he laughed. "How are you?"

"How I am?" Honor asked in disbelief. "I'm hurt and disappointed. You proposed to Rebecca and then don't tell me immediately after she said yes? Don't you know there's a codex between siblings about that? Always tell your sister first! I mean, it was nice to hear one of your friends telling you she's gonna marry, but as she's going to marry my little brother, it would have been nice to get the news from him."

Logan laughed at his sisters rant, but stopped immediately when the events of the previous evening came back to his mind. "I'm sorry, Honor. Yesterday was a little…" he stopped, having no idea what to say. Should he tell Honor about Rory? Her advices were usually the best, but as she had said, Rebecca was her friend and she wouldn't like the fact that in the night after proposing to her friend all that was on his mind was another woman.

"A little romantic? Heated up?" Honor recommended. "Rebecca already told me you were late for the event yesterday…"

"Rory was there." Logan blurt out, a little surprised at his own words. There was a long silence on the other end. "Honor?" he asked.

"Sorry. I'm just a little… surprised." Honor said hesitantly. "Rory Gilmore? The one who managed to make you a boyfriend but didn't want to make you a husband?"

Logan was stunned at how short one could sum up his relationship with Rory. "That would be her, yep."

"Well, I guess it was just a matter of time when the two of you would meet again. I mean, you're the boss of Huntzberger Publishing Group and she's a reporter at the Times, you're in the same business and work in the same city, you had to meet sooner or later." Honor told her brother, mainly because she had no idea what else to say. She knew Rory had hurt Logan more than any other person in the world, but she really hoped he was over her. For the sake of her friend Rebecca and of course for his, too. She didn't want to see him hurt again, even though she had always liked Rory.

"That's true. But, you know, I never thought it would happen. I always put that thought aside. And now I meet her the very day I propose to another woman. Talk about irony." By this time Logan had gotten up from the couch and read the note Rebecca had left him.

_Hey fiancé! Headed out to have lunch with your sister. Don't plan anything tonight… I love you so much! Rebecca_

Shit! Why did he have to get in this mess? What did he do to deserve this? He was distracted by the note that he only heard the last two words his sister said. "…change anything?"

"What do you mean? Sorry, I was a little distracted." he apologized.

"I said this isn't going to change anything. Or is it?" Honor asked, desperately hoping for a negative answer. But her brother hesitated too long and she knew that for him things would never be the same again after running into his ex-girlfriend. "So it is." she stated matter-of-factly.

Logan knew his sister wouldn't be happy if he did anything to hurt Rebecca. But she was also his sister and he knew she would always be there for him no matter what. "I have no idea. Seeing her again… it was so… I don't even find words for it, Honor. And you know that I usually never run out of words."

"She rejected you, Logan. Do you really think it's a good idea to let her back in your life?" Honor reminded him.

"She hurt me, but so did I." Logan admitted. "But that's not the point. It's not about what happened in the past, but about what happened between us yesterday."

"Something happened between you?" Honor screamed out in disbelief. "You proposed to Rebecca yesterday!" she added in an accusatory voice.

"What do you think? That I jumped into bed with her? You should know me better. I mean, I kissed her, I won't lie to you about that. But that's not the point either."

Honor was about to say something about that kissing comment, but Logan continued before she got the chance to say anything. "The point is: Yesterday, when I met her again, I realized that I still think of her as _the One_. Despite the fact that I'm in a relationship with Rebecca for almost two years now and that I really love her. Even though I haven't seen Rory for over six years, in my heart she's still _the One_."

There was silence between the siblings for a long time. Honor knew she should be angry at her brother for talking like that only hours after proposing to one of her best friends. But something in his voice almost made her want to cry. He sounded so sad and confused and still his words sounded absolutely sincere. And she knew his words were true and she was aware that if he felt like that it wouldn't be fair of him to marry Rebecca. "Then you have to do something about it."

"But what? I let her stand in the rain, Honor, I kissed her and then left her behind in the rain. I don't think she's eager to see me again."

"Did she kiss you back?" Honor asked.

Logan was confused by that statement. "What does it matter?"

"What does it matter? Logan, it's the only thing that matters. Regardless of what happened before or after."

Logan thought back to the kiss. He could almost taste her lips on his again. And he remembered her drawing him in closer, bringing her hands up to his neck, trying to deepen the kiss only moments before he broke apart. "I guess she did."

"Then go to her. Go to her and either make her your _One_ or end it for good and get some closure." Honor told him. "It's the only way you'll feel better, and you know it."

That was true, Logan knew it. But what would he tell Rebecca? And what if Rory turned him down? He couldn't stand losing her a second time. It would break him, he knew it for sure. But on the other hand staying away from her would kill him, too. So what did he have to lose?


	6. Indecent Proposal

_First of all thanks to all of you who wrote a review. It's really great to read them and to know there are people out there who like my story. Special thanks go to vanillajoy for her nice pm! I hope I'll be able to continue updating on a regular basis, but I'm quite optimistic right now, I'm already working on chapter seven. But first of all here's chapter six for you. Enjoy! _

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**Indecent Proposal**

The conference at the Plaza the next morning seemed to go on forever. Rory just sat there without really paying attention, hoping it would be over soon.

This morning had been physically exhausting for her and all she wanted to do right now was going to sleep and forget the previous evening ever happened. Roger had been very kind to her this morning, asking her how she was and if he could do anything for her and, of course, apologizing once again. Rory had to turn her face away from him more than once so he didn't see how close she was to break out in tears. Him being so nice after what she had done only made her feel worse.

Even now as they were sitting next to each other in the conference room she felt him looking at her every once in a while, checking if she was alright. Rory knew he didn't do it to annoy her but it drove her mad. She didn't deserve his kindliness and she surely didn't want his compassion. After all she had brought herself into that mess.

Finally Mr. Peterson, the editor-in-chief of the New York Times, ended the conference and Rory wasn't able to refrain from letting out a relieved sigh. She got up from her chair and tried to get out of the room as fast as she could, without having to talk to anybody. But when she reached the coat check Roger was already there, smiling at her.

"Can I take you home, Rory?" he asked and helped her into her coat. "I got my car in the garage, so if you like I can give you a ride."

"Stop!" Rory nearly screamed and turned around to face him. "Stop being so nice, okay? I know you only mean well, but please, just stop it."

Roger just looked at her, a little surprised, but on the other hand, he had kind of expected this sooner or later. Rory was the kind of woman who didn't want to let anybody see how miserable they were. But being kind to her made it harder for her to keep her feelings inside. He knew this but couldn't help it. He just had to be there for her.

"Rory, you're miserable. And it's partly my fault. You can't expect me to just leave you behind without making sure you're gonna be okay. And don't try to fool me, you're far from being okay." he said in a calm voice.

"I don't want your pity!" Rory spat out, but her words were in a strong contrast to the look in her face. He could see tears forming in her eyes and once again she turned away from him to hide it.

"Rory, it's okay to let somebody see your tears." he whispered and placed his hand gently on her shoulder. She didn't respond but he could feel her letting her guard down. "Come on, I'll drive you home." he told her, laid his arm around her shoulder and lead her to the bell desk. He told the concierge he needed his car as soon as possible and then they went out to wait in front of the hotel.

Rory didn't say a word the whole time. She knew one word would be enough to start a waterfall of tears. So she just walked next to Roger, holding back her tears with all the strength she had left until she got into his car. When he started the engine and drove out onto the busy street she finally stopped fighting the tears.

For a while neither of them said anything. Rory just sat there and cried silent tears. The pain she had felt the previous night was gone and now she just felt empty. Something had died when Logan left her behind in the rain and even though she knew that time would make things better Rory already knew that this wound would never heal completely. The only person able to make her whole again would be Logan, but she knew he would never take her back. He had Rebecca. Rebecca, the perfect blonde who was about to get the life Rory had rejected.

Roger heard her sobbing from time to time and each time he looked at her his heart broke for her. What was it that hurt her like that? What kind of man could hurt a woman as wonderful as her? Eventually he couldn't keep the silence anymore. "Ror, I know you don't want to hear it, but if there's anything I can do to make you feel better, please, tell me."

Rory looked at him before wiping away her tears and breathing deeply a few times. When she felt calm enough to speak she turned back to the road and said: "You can stop asking me if I'm okay. I'm not, we both know it. So stop asking." She hadn't meant her voice to sound that harsh, but she couldn't help it. She had to build a wall around her heart because otherwise she couldn't stand it any longer.

"That's it?" Roger replied.

"Actually, no." Rory gave back. "If think you have to do something, fine. You can fuck me the way you did yesterday again. That kinda helped." In the beginning she had just said that to shut him up, but when she gave it a second thought the idea didn't seem so bad at all. The only time she had stopped thinking about Logan since she ran into him had been in Roger's bed. Having sex with him had made her forget the pain, only for a little while, but that was better than nothing.

Roger was shocked. That was the least he had expected her to say. "Ror, please. That's not the solution."

"You're right. But you know what? There is no solution to the mess I'm in. I'm not looking for a solution. I'm looking for something that makes me feel better." Rory gave back angrily.

"It didn't seem to make you feel better yesterday." Roger tried to remind her of her breakdown the night before.

Rory immediately wiped the image of herself lying in Roger's arms while crying her heart out away. "That was afterwards. The sex made me feel better. And I've noticed you didn't have a bad time either." With this, Rory put her hand on Rogers thigh and started to stroke up and down, feeling him shudder under her touch.

She knew it wasn't fair to him. And she knew it wasn't herself to do something like that. But it was the only thing she could think of right now that would make her feel better at least temporarily.

Roger could feel himself getting hard and silently cursed himself. Why did she have such an effect on him? He knew he should be strong, shouldn't give in to her. But he wanted her just too damn much. Trying to get in her pants had always been more like a game for him but the previous night he had fallen for her. He knew giving in to her wouldn't give him what he actually wanted. She offered him her body, nothing more. But he felt he was already in too deep, he would take whatever she was willing to give.

"Don't try to talk me out of it, Roger. After all you'll profit from it, too." Rory whispered huskily, trying to ignore the voice in her head that screamed how wrong her actions were.

"I can't do that." the man managed to get out.

"It's just sex. Physical attraction. Come on, you tried to get into my pants for such a long time, you can't reject me now."

"It's wrong." Roger said, but his voice sounded anything but steady.

"Who cares?" Rory asked, continuing to caress his thigh. "You know you want it, Roger. I can _see_ you want it." she added, looking at the bulge in his pants.

They reached Rory's apartment and she took her hand away to unbuckle her seatbelt. The loss of physical contact almost hurt Roger and he knew he had already lost the fight. He would give in, ignoring the screaming voice inside of his head.

"Thanks for driving me. I'll give you a little time to think." Rory told him and opened the door, letting the cold winter air in. She got out of his car and grabbed her bag from the backseat, then leaned back into the passenger seat. "But I think you've already made your decision."

With that she closed the door and walked towards her home on shaky legs. Who was this woman she had become?


	7. Not A Lovely Girl

_So, this chapter turned out a little longer than I expected. But It wouldn't have made sense to divide it in two. And I bet you don't mind getting a little more to read ;-). _

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**Not a lovely girl **

On Thanksgiving day Logan got up early to start preparing the Turkey, just as he had promised to Rebecca the night before. He wasn't eager to do the kitchen work, but he needed some time alone.

In the past three weeks Rebecca had been like a shadow. Wherever he was she seemed to be there, too, and in their free time she always wanted to do thinks like picking out the perfect china or looking at churches for their wedding. Of course he loved her and part of her still wanted to get married to her. But the part of him that wanted to win Rory back grew every day that went by without seeing her.

He had tried to think of a good way to get in touch with her again. Over a dozen times he had started to call the Times and twice he had even asked if he could talk to Rory Gilmore. But each time he hung up like a teenager. What could he tell her? Would she even stay on the phone after hearing his name or would she just hang up on him?

He had already found out where she lived now and he was pretty sure she still went to Friday Night dinner at her grandparents house and visited her mother on a regular basis. It would have been easy to meet her in one of these locations. But how could he go there, especially to a place like Stars Hollow, with Rebecca being around all the time?

And above all there was still a voice inside of his head wondering if he really wanted to risk his future with Rebecca for the only woman who had managed to break his heart. Maybe Rebecca wasn't the love of his life, but he loved her and he knew she adored him. Wasn't this enough? Why did he have to risk a future with a woman he liked to be with for the slight chance of winning back a woman who made his feelings go crazy like a rollercoaster?

_Because every minute spent with her is a minute less you haven't lived._

That's what his best friend Colin had told him when he had asked him all those questions. And he knew it was right. Rory was the one who made him feel alive. Just being around her was intoxicating.

Life with Rory wouldn't be steady for one single minute. Rebecca by contrast wanted exactly that: A steady life, following the conventions of high society. He had arranged with living in his parents world a while ago, but meeting Rory again had reminded him of what he really wanted. Actually living his life and not watching it pass by on social events.

While he stood there getting out everything he would need in the cooking process he tried to think of a way to get Rebecca busy long enough so he could get in touch with Rory. Just to see if it made any sense at all, he promised himself. And if there was the slightest chance of succeeding in winning Rory back he would tell Rebecca immediately it was over. That much he owed her.

He finally came up with the idea of sending Rebecca on a wellness weekend. He knew she would love that. But she would never do it on her own. But maybe if Honor accompanied her? Yes, that would work.

On the other hand he knew that if he talked to Honor about this she would immediately see his motives for sending his fiancée away. So that wasn't an option.

Then there was Josh. He liked his brother-in-law and who said they couldn't plan a nice weekend getaway for their wife respectively fiancée together? He was pretty sure Josh would like the idea. So he had a plan to get Rebecca out of the picture. Now he only had to make up his mind on how to get in contact with Rory. But he was sure he would find a way.

He whistled unconsciously. Suddenly the situation didn't seem so hopeless anymore.

***

A little later that day Rory and Roger stood in front of the Gilmore Mansion in Hartford. Rory hesitated a few seconds before she rang the doorbell. She wondered if she had made the right decision about bringing Roger. They still weren't together, all they had was an affair based on sex, but Rory didn't want her Grandmother to try to set her up again, so she had told her she would bring "a friend". After all, Roger was a friend, right? Their friendship just wasn't based on talking, but that was something Emily didn't have to know.

"Are you ready for this?" Rory asked Roger without looking at him. Of course she could have given him an assuring smile, but she didn't want to give him any signs there could be more between them than what they had right now. The invitation for Thanksgiving almost had been too much. He had been so eager to accompany her, she was sure he wanted more. But she wasn't ready to be with another guy yet. Logan was all she wanted. And since she couldn't have him she wanted no serious relationship at all.

"Don't worry about me. I'm sure I've been to worse social events than your grandparents Thanksgiving party." he assured her and turned to face her. But Rory's eyes were still directed at the wooden door.

Soon the maid opened and they gave her their coats. Finally Rory looked at Roger for a brief second, then she turned to the living room. It seemed like most of the guests were already there, they could hear many voices talking inside. But before they could enter the room, Rory stopped when she recognized a female voice.

"She's such a lovely girl, Emily. Smart, beautiful, exactly what Logan needs. And what the family needs, of course. She fits in so perfectly, I could hardly believe it in the beginning. And they're so cute together. They can hardly take their eyes off of each other. Logan looked so happy today, I haven't seen him this happy in a long time, he even whistled unconsciously from time to time. I'm so glad he finally found the perfect girl and decided to marry."

_Shira Huntzberger! _was all Rory could think. Why on earth did she have to be there?

Roger had no idea why Rory stopped suddenly. But when he felt her body tense he put his hand on the small of her back and guided her to the living room. Whatever it was that was holding her back, she had to face it sooner or later. And he wanted her to know he was there.

When Rory entered she immediately saw Shira and Emily standing next to the couch. Emily had a fake smile in her face and Rory knew exactly why. Her grandmother didn't hear what Shira said, but what she really meant with her words, which was basically that Rory never fit into the Huntzberger family and that Logan hadn't been happy all this time because of her rejection.

Eventually Emily spot Rory in the corner of the room and was glad to have a reason to leave Shira. And she was particularly happy that Rory had Roger with her, so Shira saw that there were families that thought Rory was indeed good enough. That the two weren't together was a fact the other woman didn't have to know.

"Rory, I'm so glad you made it!" she said and hugged her granddaughter. "Mr. Williamson, nice to meet you." she added, taking the hand Roger offered her.

"Thank you for the invitation, Mrs. Gilmore. And, please, call me Roger." That comment brought a bright smile to Emily's face and she couldn't help but turn around to see if Shira was watching the scene.

In the meantime Rory greeted her Mum and Luke and her little sister Lily.

"You know what you're doing, kid?" Lorelai asked. "I can already see my mother picturing your wedding and kids. By the way, I had no idea you were seeing somebody."

"I'm not!" Rory answered a little too fast, but Lorelai didn't say anything. She could feel her daughter had been going through a rough phase over the last few weeks, but she knew Rory would tell her when she considered it to be the right time. "We're just colleagues and friends. And you know how Grandma is, if I don't bring anyone she's going to set me up with someone. I just wasn't in the mood for this. There's nothing between Roger and me."

Lorelai could sense that Rory kept something, but they were interrupted by Richard's voice: "Dear friends and family. Emily and I are happy to welcome all of you today. First of all, a happy Thanksgiving to all of you. If you would follow me to the dining room now please, dinner is served."

After a small applause everyone sat down at the table. During dinner there was the typical society talk and Rory silently wondered what had made her agree to attend her grandparents holiday dinner.

***

Two hours and a five-course-menu later everyone was sitting in front of a cup of coffee.

"Emily, could you tell me where you bought this china? I definitely have to go there with Rebecca, she would love that pattern. She's has such a great taste!" Shira asked and Rory had to stop herself from letting out an exasperated sigh.

Shira seemed to have no other topic than Rebecca and her engagement with Logan. And every once in a while she gave Rory a look that made it obvious she talked about them on purpose.

Rory had a hard time to hold herself back, but she knew she couldn't make a scene in front of all these people. But she had to do something. "First floor, last door on the right. Follow me in five minutes." she whispered at Roger and got up from the table.

Roger knew it probably wasn't a good idea to follow her. She had been tense all evening and he was pretty sure what she had on mind. But he could see that every time they had sex it destroyed her a little more. And how could he do that to a woman he was in love with? But nevertheless he followed her, who knew what she would do if he left her alone.

When he entered the room she had told him to go to he was slightly surprised to see her lying on the bed, wearing nothing more than a black bra and matching panties. When she saw him she got up, looked the door behind him and started to tamper with his belt.

"Ror, what are you doing? Where are we?" he asked her and when she didn't respond he grabbed her wrists and stopped her.

"We're in my mothers old room." Rory told him before she tried to free her hands. "Let go of me, Roger. You know what I need right now."

He struggled to get back the control over her hands. "Rory, what is wrong with you? Something has been bothering you all evening." he asked her softly. "Why do you want to do this now? In your grandparents house of all places. Don't you think it will be better to talk about it?"

She let out a sarcastic laugh. "There has been enough talking tonight. About lovely girls and china patterns and fitting in. But I'm not a lovely girl and I don't fit in perfectly, so I might as well fuck you in my grandparents house!" she spat at him and finally got her hands free.

Roger hadn't been paying attention during her rant. Had it been the stories of the Huntzberger woman that got to her like that? It made absolutely no sense at all.

"Are you just going to stand there?" Rory asked him annoyed after she had opened his belt and unbuttoned his shirt. "Come on, Roger." she whispered huskily and ran her hand over the front of his pants.

"Ror…" was all Roger managed to get out before she rubbed her body against his and he could feel his erection grow rapidly. All rational thoughts left his brain and he pushed her back towards the bed. She fell down on it and watched him taking off his pants and shirt before he crawled on top of her.

He already knew she wouldn't kiss him on the lips, so he unclasped her bra and took her right nipple into his mouth, sucking it gently. Rory tried to push down his boxers, but he took her hands and held them over her head. "This time I'm gonna be the one in control." he told her in a firm voice that made her shiver.

He stripped her out of her panties and without any further warning he pushed two fingers inside of her. Rory grasped at the sudden sensation and spread her legs a little more. He continued to finger-fuck her hard and Rory bucked up her hips to feel him even deeper inside of her.

When he felt her being close he stopped and looked into her blue eyes that were now clouded with lust. "Roger, please!" she groaned. But he didn't allow her to go over the edge, instead he started kissing her neck, leaving a mark just below her left ear.

Rory tried to free her hands, but she had no chance. So she wrapped her legs around Roger and ground against his body, trying to get the release she needed so desperately.

Eventually Roger couldn't take it anymore. He pushed down his boxers and quickly rolled on a condom before crawling on top of Rory again. He pinned her hands on each side of her head before entering her slowly. Both of them let out a load moan when he finally was all the way inside of her.

Rory bucked up her hips, a silent beg to give her what she wanted, to make her forget Shira Huntzberger and Logan's engagement for a little while.

Roger couldn't look at her. By looking in her blue eyes he would only see how broken she was. So he closed his eyes and started to thrust into her hard and fast and Rory met each of his thrusts with silent determination.

Their sex was just like it had been every time in these past three weeks. Always hard. Always fast. But this time it was almost too much for Rory to take. But on the other hand, wasn't that exactly what she wanted?

It didn't take them very long to reach their climax and after they rode out their heavy orgasms Roger rolled off of Rory. They laid next to each other, trying to regain control over their rapid breathing.

"I can't do this anymore, Ror." Roger finally said without looking at her. "I can't continue being a part of your self-destruction. You're broken, and no matter how often you try to tell it to yourself, screwing around with me is not going to help. I don't know what is wrong with you, but please, I beg you, try to find someone who can help you. And you know I will always be there for you. I would love to be the person to help you through this. But if I'm not it's okay. Just stop doing this to yourself."

Rory couldn't stop a few tears from running down her cheeks. Hearing Roger's words made her realize that all this time she had waited for him to stop her. To keep her from hurting herself even more. "I don't know what to do." she finally whispered.

He turned around to face her. "Look, I kinda know all of this has to do with another man. And believe me, I know how hard it is to get over someone you really love. But maybe, if you let me in of your life, you could slowly forget the other guy." he said. He knew he might go too far, but he just had to try if she was willing to give him more than her body. "I don't want to push you. I just want you to know I'm there." he added softly.

Rory was touched by his words. She knew being with Roger would never make her feel as good as being with Logan. But to herself she had already admitted that Logan would never try to win her back. And maybe she could start to feel better with Roger as her boyfriend. Not good, but at least better.

"Okay." she whispered and turned to face him. "But I need you to give me time."

"All the time you need, Ror." he whispered back and pulled her in for a hug. Rory wrapped her arms around him and felt his heart beat against her chest. If she couldn't make herself truly happy, at least she would give this feeling to somebody else.

She pulled apart from him a little to look into his brown eyes before leaning in for a small kiss. It wasn't very long or passionate or even full of emotions. It was just a kiss. But despite everything that had happened between them, it still was their first kiss.

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_So, I hope you don't hate me for ending the chapter like that. If I would have read this, my only thought would have been "Rory and Roger? NO!" But that's all part of the storyline. And I promise, as soon as Logan and Rory meet again it's gonna get more a little more optimistic and less angsty. And who knows, I might even give you a little fluff ... As always, reviews are appreciated ;-) _


	8. The First Snow

_Sorry it took me a little long to get out the next chapter. But I wanted it to come out right, so it took me some time to write it. But here it is and I'm quite happy with it. I hope you enjoy my little advanced christmas present to you! _

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**The First Snow**

The following three weeks Rory and Roger started developing a real relationship. They went out for dinner several times, watched movies together and talked a lot to get to know each other better. Together they had decided to take one step at a time, so they hadn't told anyone at the office yet. And also sexually they had decided not to rush anything, to let it happen again when the time was right.

Rory had to admit that it made her feel better to spend time with Roger. Often they just sat on the couch talking for hours about their favorite books and authors, movies they loved or sharing childhood stories. Deep down in her heart she knew there was something missing, but she put that thought aside. Telling herself that he wasn't Logan wouldn't help her getting over her ex-boyfriend. So she tried as good as she could not to think about Logan and she managed to stay away from news about "Hartford's biggest engagement".

Three weeks after Thanksgiving Rory had decided to take the weekend off for her sister's third birthday on Saturday, Thursday was her last day at the office.

"Are you looking forward to go home to Stars Hollow?" Roger asked her in the afternoon. Of course he kind of knew already that Rory was happy to have a full weekend at home, but part of him still hoped she would invite him to come along. Or at least to come to Stars Hollow for the birthday party.

"Oh yeah. My mom's really into this whole birthday thing, so it's gonna be a big party. Too big for a three-year-old, in fact, but that's my mom. And I'm glad, that way I will meet everyone again. Babette, Miss Patty, Taylor, Kirk, all of them. It seems like forever since I've met them all." Rory answered and Roger noticed that her eyes were sparkling.

"Seems to be an interesting place you come from. I would love to go there and meet all of these unique characters someday." He answered, realizing too late that Rory would look right through the hardly hidden hint.

"Roger, please." Rory said in a low voice, looking down on her desk. "You agreed to give me time. I need this time in Stars Hollow for myself. I mean, I didn't even tell my mom about us yet. And I don't want to take her by surprise by just bringing you along."

Roger nodded, sending her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Ror. I shouldn't have started. I hope you have a great time. And I'll come to Stars Hollow when you're ready."

"Thanks, Roger." Rory answered, feeling the all too familiar guilt once again. He was too nice to be her consolation prize. But on the other had, he knew there was another guy in her heart and he had wanted her nonetheless. So she shouldn't feel this guilty, right?

Two hours later Rory finished her last article and started putting her belongings together. Just when she put on her coat she heard a female voice from behind: "Hey, look, it's snowing!" Rory turned around and saw Phoebe, one of her colleagues at the feature resort, pointing her finger to the window. And she was right. Perfect snowflakes were falling down, making everything look a little magical.

"Aww, this is perfect!" Rory couldn't help but squeal happily. "There's gonna be snow for Lily's birthday!"

Roger just looked at her for a few moments. Right now she didn't seem like the talented reporter she was but more like a little girl. "Have fun, Ror!" he told her with a bright smile on his face, squeezing her hand softly when no one was looking at them.

"Thank you, Roger. Have a great weekend!" she gave back before walking towards the elevator doors. While going down she couldn't help but smile. Finally the first snow of the year! It might seem childish, but for Rory every problem seemed solvable when there was snow. Snow was magical. Anything was possible when it snowed.

When Rory stepped out of the elevator she could hardly wait to get out and feel the snowflakes falling on her head. So she hurried through the lobby, looking straight towards the door. Outside she jumped down the stairs like a five-year-old. And then finally she stood on the sidewalk and the snow was falling all around her. A small chuckle escaped her lips just as she heard a male voice behind her.

"Ace?"

He couldn't be here. It wasn't possible, right? Rory shook her head. The snow must have clouded her mind. All these thoughts about how anything was possible when it snowed made her imagine his voice. She almost continued walking without turning around when she heard the voice again.

"Ace, it's me."

She slowly turned around and there he was. Just like that. He stood there in front of the New York Times office, smiling insecurely at her. Without really noticing it Rory gave back his smile and took a few steps towards him.

"Hey, Logan." she said, her voice sounding more confident than she felt.

"Hey, Ace!" Logan responded, using her old nickname for the third time. He had imagined it to be hard to say it again, but it wasn't. It felt so naturally.

Encouraged by hearing that familiar name Rory asked him: "Should we get some coffee?" She was a little surprised by herself, but somehow the words just flew out of her mouth.

"Sure, sounds great." Logan gave back, smiling at her with a little more confidence now. Everything went totally different than her had imagined it. But he didn't care. This was so much better. "You don't happen to know if there's a Starbucks somewhere around here?"

"Logan, I've been working here for nearly two years now, do you really think I don't know every coffee shop within walking distance?" Rory responded with fake annoyance, causing Logan to laugh. "The next Starbucks is just around that corner." she added, linked arms with him and started walking.

Neither of them said a word in the five minutes they walked towards the coffee shop. But both of them wondered how they had managed six years without each other. It felt so good to be near each other again.

They were still so familiar with each other. When Rory looked up at the grey sky Logan was sure she silently thanked the snow for bringing him back to her. Which was exactly what Rory had done. She felt a little childish, but it was what her mother would say if she told her: "The snow brought him back."

After entering the Starbucks Logan was the first to speak again: "So, what do you say we get our coffee to go. I'm sure you want to take a walk in the snow, right?"

Rory looked a little surprised, but the bright smile on her face mad clear that Logan was exactly right. "That would be great." she answered. He knew her so well, it was almost scary. After all these years he still knew her.

She ordered a tall Vanilla Latte and Logan got a normal coffee. Of course he didn't let her pay and as a sign of her appreciation she gave him a small kiss on the cheek. It was over before it really began, but Logan could feel her lips touching his skin for minutes.

They left the Starbucks and just walked next to each other for a few minutes. "So, you were done early today, hm?" Logan asked after a while.

"Yeah, usually I don't leave the office that early. But I took this weekend off to go home to Stars Hollow. My sister's turning three on Saturday." Rory answered, still amazed at how comfortable it felt to be around Logan, how easy it was to be herself. It even felt like she hadn't been herself since they had broken up.

"You have a sister?" Logan asked surprised.

Immediately a smile was plastered all over Rory's face. "Yes, I do. She's so adorable. Lorelai Emily Gilmore-Danes."

"Pretty long name for a small kid." Logan smirked. He like to see how happy it made Rory to talk about her sister.

"We call her Lily."

"Way better. Danes, hm? So Luke is her father?"

Rory nodded. "My mom and him got married the year after I left Yale. I was so happy for my mom, she and Luke just belong together. And since they have Lily they are the perfect little family."

"And I bet her big sister is the one in the family to spoil her?" Logan winked at her.

Rory blushed a little. "Well, she's just so cute, you wouldn't believe it. And when she looks at me with those big blue eyes… trust me, you wouldn't be able to say no to these eyes either."

_If they are just a little like those of her sister I'm sure I couldn't! _Logan thought, but he didn't say it out loud. "I know what you are talking about. Honor has two daughters, Mia and Sophie, they look like angels, I don't think I ever even thought about using the word no in their presence."

Rory laughed. She could imagine Logan soften at the sight of two pouting little girls. After all she had been able to make him weak with a single pout or by batting her eyelashes. "But I have to say my Grandma is far worse than I am."

"Emily? I can hardly believe Emily Gilmore is spoiling a kid."

"Well, not just any kid, it's Lorelai _Emily_ Gilmore-Danes." Rory pointed out. "But it's okay. I mean, you know that my mom and my grandmother never really got along that well. In the beginning she even tried to separate her and Luke. But then Luke went to her and my grandfather and asked for their permission to marry mom."

_I'm here to ask your permission, your permission to ask Rory to marry me. _For a second Logan could hear the words he had said all those years ago. But he quickly pushed the memory aside. This afternoon with Rory was too precious to spoil it with old memories.

"I mean, of course Luke would also have asked her if they had said no, but somehow that made them change their mind about him. I don't know, maybe it showed them he has "the right manners" and isn't just "that diner guy", whatever. It doesn't matter. And my mom was so happy that they finally accepted Luke, which made her and grandma become closer again. And when mom got pregnant grandma said something to her, I have no idea what it was, she hasn't told anyone, but it made her decide to name her daughter Emily."

"Sounds like everything is going great in your family. I'm really happy for you. I know how you always wanted Lorelai and Emily to be closer." With that, Logan reached for her hand. He knew that might go too far with it, but he couldn't help it.

Rory was surprised at his action and for a moment she wanted to pull her hand away. But then she automatically laced his fingers with his like it was the most normal thing in the world. It felt so good to hold his hand and she could feel a lump building in her throat.

"Yeah, everything's fine in my family." she said when she trusted her voice again. "It's just sad that I don't meet them that often, with all the work and all. I mean, I love New York and my job, but sometimes… I don't know… I just miss to have someone around, I guess." she admitted.

Logan looked at her and could see the sadness in her eyes. She almost seemed to be… lonely. That realization shocked him. How could it be that his Ace of all people was lonely?

Without thinking he stopped and pulled her in for a hug. He put his arms around her and even though he had imagined it to make him feel good to finally hold her again he was surprised by the wave of emotions that got hold of him now.

Rory was surprised at his actions, but as soon as she felt Logan's arms around her she didn't think anymore. Instead she put her arms around him and pulled him in closer, losing herself in his embrace.

They stood there, in the middle of a New York sidewalk, holding each other close while the snow fell down on them and both of them felt the same: Like that had finally reached home after a long journey.


End file.
